Forensic Science in the 1920’s was not as high-tech as the Forensic Science of today; with hair comparisons, DNA tests, the testing of bodily fluids, and fingerprinting to identify the person(s) suspected of doing the crime. Forensic Science is the practical application of Science to the law to prove the guilt or innocence of a person. Since its initial application over the years, Forensic Science has helped revolutionize the law and bringing forth of justice. Used in the “perfect crime” to convict two high profile and unlikely people to cause such a horrific crime that caused the pain of a family and a death of a boy who had just started living. Forensic Science was still in its infancy when first introduced alongside other applications …show more content…
At the depressing burial of Bobby Franks the deceased young boy had a pair of glasses placed upon his face. In astonishment as the relatives sought to identify him, they quickly realized the glasses did not belong to their own son. This major discovery launched the justice force into further investigation of the murderers, and soon the detectives later uncovered that the very unique glasses found at the crime scene belonged none other to Nathan Leopold. When Nathan Leopold was brought into the station for questioning he explained his love of Ornithology (the study of birds), with this information given he merely stated that he liked to go to Wolf Lake and study the birds to feed his infatuation and that he had no part in the death of 14-year old Bobby Franks. Feeling ill sufficed with the small amount of information given as an alibi of Nathan's whereabouts the detectives grew more suspicious of the 19-year old. After discussion on what to do they launched a more descriptive and targeted investigation into his life. What they found out would impact the judgment of the case entirely; being so that he was involved with Richard Loeb. Not only was he involved, but after reading some entries about his life it was obvious to them that the two boys were emotionally attached to one another. After bringing partner in crime/lover Richard Loeb in, the
In 1924, the nation was shocked by the news of a kidnapping and murder in Chicago, Illinois. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two nineteen-year-olds from wealthy families, confessed to the brutal killing of the fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks. These two young men did not show any sign of remorse. Right off the bat Nathan and Richard readily admitted that they had been strategizing for some time to commit the perfect crime. Their plan was ruined when Leopold left his eyeglasses at the scene, which eventually led to their arrest.
Just for months following the murder, they were both convicted of murdering 14 year old Bobby Franks and received the life sentence and an additional 99 years due to the kidnapping. The relationship between the two dwindled within the duration of their time at the penitentiary. In 1936, Loeb was savagely assaulted by his cellmate. Loeb had apparently made sexual advances towards the roomie. Leopold was granted parole at a later date, where he fled to Puerto Rico.
They were both wealthy teenagers (age 18 and age 19) from the suburbs of Chicago. They spent months determining how they wanted to carry out their plan. On May 21st, 1924, they convinced Bobby Frank to enter their car and then they killed him with a chisel and put his body into a channel. Additionally, they sent a ransom note asking for 10,000 dollars. Leopold’s and Loeb’s parents hired an expensive criminal attorney by the name of Clarence Darrow to defend them.
Leopold and Loeb One fateful day in May of 1924, the people of Illinois and then of the entire United States were caught off guard by a murder, a murder of a fourteen-year-old boy. However, the crime would come crashing to the ground because of a tiny mistake that would haunt the killers for the rest of their lives. 1920s America was booming. It was prosperous, and World War I had just ended.
Comparing simple techniques simply to retrieve a piece of evidence is completely different as we learn more about the science and learn from the mistakes made in the past. Looking back at the 1800’s and comparing the technology of the 21st century, the difference is certainly huge. The increase in technology makes information more vast and more ideas can be shared easily. Many sciences are based off many “what ifs” while forensic science is more factual and attempt to solve puzzling occurrences and events and get down to what truly
University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks. While it is debated whether or not they intended to murder Franks, it is known that they were attempting to pull off the perfect crime, where no one would ever find out it was them who did it (Knappman). Things did not work out so well for the two, though. Robert Crowe, the state’s attorney, shortly found evidence that made them the leading suspects. Within 10 days of the murder, Leopold and Loeb confessed and demonstrated to Crowe how they killed Bobby Franks.
While destroying all the evidence they couldn’t destroy everything as when the body was found at the scene police easily traced the glasses. “At the trial they were found guilty and they confessed that both of them were the part of the crime but their defence lawyer used the mental competence at the trial to save them for the crime”(Leopold and Loeb). The issue that came up to the lame light was did they have a
Often there are no standard protocols governing forensic practice in a given discipline. And, even when protocols
And sentenced to prison for life after they were identified and mentally unstable. With decisions affected by their exotic relationship, Leopold and Loeb committed the “Crime of the Century”, and although it took Clarence Darrow to clear them of the
A horrible tragedy of three ruined lives, a brutally murdered 14 year old, and life imprisonments of two teenage killers (Linder, 1). Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two extremely intelligent young men with a crazed affection for each other, shocked many people by the gruesomeness and the nature of the murder of Bobby Franks. In Chicago, 1924, the radio was just making an entrance into social life, cultural norms were changing as the economy boomed, and traditional views on life began to change to be more contemporary (History.com Staff). Leopold and Loeb were fearless, living the fast life of robbing and conning, when they decided to commit the perfect, unsolvable, murder. They had no want or even reason to kill, but to experience the thrill of adrenaline flow through them (Linder, 2).
Yesterday, on May 31st, 1924, Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. confessed to the murder and kidnapping of 14-year-old Bobby Franks for ransom money and the thrill of the experience. Bobby was first abducted when walking home from school north on Ellis Avenue and he was found dead the next morning. When walking he saw his cousin Richard driving passed who offered him a ride home and to talk about his tennis racket as the Frank’s family loved Tennis. The cause of death was suffocation despite having head trauma after receiving multiple blows with a chisel, causing a large gash to form on the back of his skull.
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb stand guilty of the motiveless and random murder of fourteen year-old Bobby Franks in August of 1924. Intellectual and wealthy, the criminals stand to gain nothing from the senseless slaughter, yet commit the act nonetheless. Neither boy denies the killing, as their defense attorney Clarence Darrow pleads guilty on their behalf. Yet despite guilt, the trial continues, as Darrow fights the proposal of capital punishment for the two boys. Throughout his entire career, not one of Darrow’s clients ever receives the death penalty (Safire 370).
Science has come a long way over the years. It has helped countless every day struggles and cure diseases most commonly found. What you don’t hear about however is the advancement of forensic science. Forensic science has helped solve countless cases of murder, rape, and sexual assault. In the case of John Joubert, it helped solve the murders of three young boys with one small piece of evidence that linked him directly to the crime.
He knew he had acted wrongly and consequently knew he would soon serve a harsh punishment for the actions he had committed. For that reason, instead of attempting to conceal the evidence of his murders he decided to help the investigators find the remains of the victims in order for the families to be notified of what happened with their loved one. This may have been an attempt for a lighter punishment or it may have been an aspiration to help the police and the victim’s families. He described to the detectives a graphic portrayal of what he did to each victim as well as how and where he hid the victim, helping with the body identification process. After being convicted, the leads for the story took up four thousand pages of police records (Fischer 189) and his court trials were the most expensive in court history, costing more than $120,000 (Schwartz 216).
The educational path required to achieve my goal of becoming a forensic scientist will be a long, exhausting process. The different characteristics of forensic science- like the use of analytical techniques- is what sets itself apart from just any other science degree(Thorpe). Being just a junior in high school, KEES money plays a major role in helping me decide where I go